There is nothing official because this is not usual. However, those who do not march for a living and are not conditioned to do so, may want to station a second team half-way along the parade route to change out teams. There are a couple different ways to accomplish this. Let’s review.
Two Complete Teams
This would be the easiest to accomplish but would require your unit to have two complete sets of equipment: rifles, flagstaffs with colors mounted, and colors harnesses at a minimum.
At the half-way point, the first team would march from the center of the road to the side as the second team marches from the side to the center and finishes the parade as shown above. FYI, the second team will not “fall for the banana in the tailpipe.”
Switching Out Personnel- Continuous Marching
This is an idea I created if the parade is constantly moving forward with no time to stop, and you don’t have two complete teams. As I wrote above in the image, there are, more or less, three steps, I will explain them a bit more here.
- “Split It” is a command used in the ceremonial drill world because color guards march shoulder-to-shoulder and when the team mut halt and bring their equipment to Order, they have to split to obtain Close Interval spacing to manipulate the equipment safely.
- After widening the gaps of both teams, the second team moves to the right of each team member they are replacing. The following happens simultaneously.
- Color bearers bring the staff to Raised Guidon, just like the first position for going to Order (right hand on the staff at the top of the head, left hand at chest). At that moment, the second team bearers grasp the staff in the same manner and bring it to centered on their torsos and then insert the lower ferrule into the socket.
- The guards come to Port and while dropping the right hand to the side, pass the rifle to the right with the left hand. The second team guards grasp the rifle at Port, pull it to centered on their torsos and execute the proper shoulder movements.
- The second moves through as the first team takes smaller steps, not slower, to drop back. As the first team moves away and heads to the side of the road, the second team moves to Close Interval and marches the rest of the parade.
Switching Out Personnel- A Formal Exchange at the Halt
- The first team halts.
- The second team marches to directly in front of, centered on, and about two steps away from the first team.
- The first team national bearer gives the command, “Present, ARMS!” and everyone renders a salute. If the org bearer has a military color, it does not dip and only the guards render Present with their rifles as the second team all render the hands salute.
- The commander gives “Carry, COLORS!” and everyone drops their salute while colors remain at Carry.
- The first team national bearer moves to give the US to the second team national bearer.
- (The first team state bearer moves to give the US to the second team state bearer.)
- The first team org bearer moves to give the US to the second team org bearer.
- Both guards move to Port and step forward and exchange the rifles. The easiest method is to keep the rifle at the Port position with the left hand while bringing the right hand up to the upper hand guard and reaching around the rifle to be able to twist it into the Port position for the second team guard in front of you. The second team guards grasp the rifles at Port and bring the rifles to the appropriate shoulder position.
- First team commander give “Right, FACE” and “FORWARD MARCH!” for the first team. They march off.
- Second team commander gives “About Wheel, MARCH!” or “Colors Reverse, MARCH” or even “Countermarch, MARCH!” to turn the team around and continue marching the parade.
Let me know if this works for you.